Metal furniture



Jan. 5, 1932. L. A. VANDERHOOF 1,840,142

METAL FURNITURE Filed Jan. 23, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l LAWRENCE A. VANDERHOOF H15 anew Patented Jan. 5, 1 932 nawnnnoEa-vnmmmioor, or Conny, PENNSYLVANIA, As'sIGNoR T COREY-JAMES- TOWN MANUFACTURING. CORPORATION,

TION OF YORK 01 COREY, PENNSYLVANIA, A' CORPORA- METAL FURNITURE Application filed January 23, 1931. I Serial No 510,779,

This invention relates toan improvement in a filing cabinet and'more particularlyto a cabinet of the metal type in which large or small drawers 'may be interchangeably I I 1 -Re'ference ishad mounted. I

The principal object of the inventionhes in the provision of inserts for filing'c'abi-r nest bywhich to adapt large drawer open ings'to receive two or more smaller drawers.

Another object of the inventioncis to provide inserts which may be located in the filing cabinet without dissembling said cabinet.

7 A further object of the invention is to provide inserts, the structure of which permits the arrangement of large or small drawers by:

the user of the cabinet without the aid of specialtools. 1

Other and further objects oftheinvention may be more .clearly understoodfrom a consideration of the following specification which is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and inwhich Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation-of a filing cabinet with a largedrawer mounted therein;

Flg. 2 1s a Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the inserts Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional viewtaken on the line 6'6 of Figure 5, showingthe method by which'the insert'i's engaged with the rear of the cabinet;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation partly in section of a filing cabinet having a large drawer mounted on a roller suspension;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary front elevationof the cabinet in Figure 7 andshows two suspension mounted drawers occupying;v the spaceof the largedrawer; w

Fig.-9 is an end viewaof the xmodified. in-" fragmentary front elevation. of the cabinet shown-inFigurel with two small;

sert, showing the engagement between-cabinet andmsert; and

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the insert shown in Figure9.

cated by .the reference numeral 10. The cabinetis comprised of a plurality of rectangular openings-1L which are defined by the side walls 12, top and bottom rails 13 and inter-,

in any suitable manner, as by welding, to these flanges are channel members 17. The upper flange 19 of each member I'Tis formed Witha slot 20 adjacent, the forward end, the pur-- poseof which will later be set forth. The

to Figure 1 of the drawngs in WhlCll, is shown a. filing cabinet indiintermediate rail 14 is formedwith upper and lower. flanges 22 and 23hwhich receive the upper and lower flanges of the members 17,

being permanently secured thereto in any suitable manner. The upper flange 22 is produced with a longitudinal rib 24; Securedin the depression under face of the rib is a rod .25; Mounted on the rod 25' and projecting through suitable openings in the fiange 22 are rollers 26'. These rollers are adapted to sup-' port the channeled portions 28 formed in the baseof each drawer 29. Adjacent therear of the drawer and joined tothe wall Slof the portions 28 are angle brackets 33. Rollers 34 :are supported on these brackets,'being Althoughv drawers of different height are adapted tosu'pport the rear portion ofthe shown in Figures 1 and 2, reference characters describing the elements of drawer 29 are applied to the other drawers in as much as these smaller drawers are identical in con+ struction with the drawer above described;

1 It often occurs that the user ofafiling cabinet desires to rearrangethegspace, making useyof it for records .whichmay be filed in drawers oft-substantially halfthe height of those -already in usein the cabinet Under.

such circumstances the large. draweris re -moved,; tw0 inserts mounted in the opening '11, and attached ashereinafter described, and

two small drawers inserted. The small drawers plus an additional intermediate rail are of the same height as the original large drawer and, consequently, the appearance and utility of the cabinet is not altered.

The inserts 35, two of which are necessary to change the capacity of the opening 11 from one to two drawers, are provided, along the upper edges of the portions 36, with inwardly opening longitudinal channel members 37. These members are substantially identical with the members 17, being provided with slots 38 in the upper flange 39. The forward end of each channel projects beyond the vertical flange 41 which defines one end of the portion 36. The lower flange and base wall of the channel member are cut to produce a notch 42. The projected portion of the member 37 is adapted to be received within an intermediate rail 43 which is mounted between the small drawers.

The portion 36 is formed with a base flange 45 which rests upon the upper flange of the channel member 17. On the outer face and adjacent the rear of the portion 36 are two straps 46 and 47. The strap 46 is secured at its upper end in any suitable manner, as by welding, to the outer face of the wall 36. The lower end of the strap projects beneath the flan e 45 and in turn is formed with an inwar ly projecting flange 48. The strap 47, a substantially Z-shaped element, is welded or otherwise joined to the wall 36 to (produce a pocket 50. The pocket 50, forme by the portion 36 and strap 47, when the insert is mounted in the cabinet 10, receives the rearmost flange 16 of the cabinet wall 12. The stra 46 may be sprung outwardly to permit the ange 48 thereof to pass beneath the fixed channel member 17. The space between the flange 48 and the base wall 45 of the element is approximately the height of the channel member 17.

It may thus be noted that the insert cannot move upwardly or downwardly by reason of the stra 46 nor can the upper edge tip sidewise under the weight of a drawer by reason of the engagement of the strap 47 with the wall flange 16. It remains only to secure the forward upper edge of the insert to properly support a drawer. This is accomplished through the provision of the small drawer intermediate rail 43. As above set forth, the: forward end of each channel'member 37 is cut away at 42. This cut-away portion permits inserting the end of the channel memher into the rail 43. Rail and channel members are now bolted or otherwise joined together, thus preventing twisting of the upper forward end of the inserts. Each of the rails 43 is also provided with flanges which'act as strikers or stop for the head of a drawer located therebeneath.

The above described structure permits installation of two small drawers in a cabinet opening previously occupied by a single drawer. The modification shown in Figures 7 through 10 adapts a more expensively constructed filing cabinet, in which roller suspensions support the drawers, for the installation of two small drawers in place of one large drawer.

In this modification the filing cabinet 55, having inwardly flanged side walls 56, is fitted with channel members 58 which are secured along the base wall 59 thereof to said walls in any suitable manner as by welding. The roller suspension 60, which is mounted in the channel member 58 and supports the drawer 62, forms no part of this invention and willtherefore not be described. The insert 63, by which the rectangular o ning 64 in the cabinet is made to accoinmo ate small drawers 65 in place of the large drawer 62, is mounted as a unit in said opening. The insert comprises a dust plate 67 having depending side flanges 68. The flanges 68 terminate in base flan es 69. The forward end of the plate 67 is anged to produce an intermediate rail 71 which is stepped to limit the inward movement of the lower of the small drawers 65. The rear end of the plate 67 terminates in a downwardly extending flange 73 which abuts the rear wall of the cabinet 55. Along the longitudinal edges of u the plate'67. and secured thereto by welding, are channel members 74. These members are substantially identical with the members 58, being adapted to receive the suspensions 60 which support the up er small drawer 65. Adjacent the forwar ends of the vertical flanges 68 are straps 75, the lower ends of which project below the flanges 69. Spring-like straps 77, located adjacent the rear of the flanges 68, are formed with projecting spaced flanges 78. The flanges 78 are spaced from the flanges 69 a distance approximately the height of the channel member 58. When the insert is mounted in the opening 64, the flanges 69 are adapted to rest upon the fixed channel members 58, straps 77 engaging the side and bottom flanges of said fixed channel members. In this fashion the insert is prevented any vertical movement when once mounted. Straps 75, being adjacent the forward end of the insert, abut the flanges of walls 56 of the cabinet, thus preventing horizontal movement of the insert during withdrawal of the drawer. It will be noted that the insert provides an intermediate set of channel members lying directly above a dust plate. Consequently, two separate and distinct compartments have been produced one for each of the small drawers 65.

Although applicant has shown and described but two modifications of his invention, it is obvious to those skilled in the art that other modifications or adaptations may III i said plate adapted to removably engage said be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the hereunto annexed claims.

Having thus set forth my invention what I claim as new and for which I desire protection by Letters Patent is: I

1. In a filling cabinet having a drawer opening, drawer guide channels secured to the vertical walls of said opening, inserts mounted in said opening, means on said inserts engageable with said cabinet and said channels, said means being adapted to removably secure said inserts in said opening.

2. In a filing cabinet having a drawer opening, drawer guide channels mounted in said opening, two oppositely disposed drawer supporting inserts, means engaging said inserts wlth said channels and said cablnet, and

further means spacedly connecting said inserts.

3. In a filing cabinet having a drawer opening, drawer guide channels secured to the vertical walls of said opening, oppositely disposed drawer supporting inserts mounted in said opening, spring means engaging the rear of each of said inserts with said cabinet and further means removably engaging said inserts with said cabinet guide channels.

a. In a filing cabinet having a drawer openin uide channels fixed to the vertical walls c7 2: of said opening, a drawer supporting insert mounted on said guide channels and means engaging said insert with said guide channels and said cabinet.

5. In a filing cabinet having a large drawer opening, drawer guide channels fixed to the vertical walls of said opening, means insertable in said openin facilitating accommodation of two small drawers, said means comprising spaced inserts mounted on saidfixed channels, spring means engaging said inserts with said fixed channels andfurther means preventing inadvertent removal of said inserts when said drawers are manipulated.

6. A drawer supporting insert for a filing cabinet comprising a plate, a drawer guide channel produced along the upper longitudinal edge of said plate, means depending from insert with a fixed cabinet channel, and further means spacedly connecting the forward ends of oppositely disposed inserts, said further means acting to maintain said inserts in upright position. i

In testimony whereof I have affixed my 1 signature.

LAWRENCE A. VANDERHOOF. 

